E-Ignition Upgrade

Jabiru Electronic Ignition Upgrade

Start first time every time.

Simple ‘bolt on’ upgrade.

Available for 2200, 3300, and 5100 engines.

Motivation

At high engine RPM, the standard Jabiru ignition system works acceptably. However during starting, the magneto coil require high cranking speeds to generate appropriate spark. This can cause difficulty starting the Jabiru engine. As if the battery has low charge or you find yourself in cold conditions, you may find yourself stranded in a stationary aircraft.

Solution

The standard magneto coil offers a reliable spark without battery power, provided engine RPM is high. While the electronic ignition allows the engine to start almost instantaneously, as it does not require a fully charged battery or high cranking speeds to generate sufficient spark. The combination of both types is ideal as it offers both performance and redundancy.

Results

Starts first blade in any weather condition

Will start on a poorly charged battery, making battery condition no longer an issue

Simple ‘bolt on’ upgrade

Replaced magneto can be retained as a spare

Enables hand starting

Product

Jabiru Electronic Ignition Upgrade Contents

1 x High energy ignition coil

1 x Ignition coil lead

1 x Hall sensor and mounting plate

1 x Ignition module

1 x Wiring harness with ignition module plug

1 x Heat sink compound

1 x Installation and wiring instructions

FAQ

Jabiru E-Ignition Upgrade FAQs

The additional weight added by the Jabiru Electronic Ignition Upgrade is negligible. The only additional component is the ignition coil, although the redundant magneto coil is removed from the installation.

The hall sensor replaces one of the standard magneto systems, where the other is retained as normal. The remainder magneto coil can be kept as a spare. Either magneto can be replaced, although replacing the top magneto is desirable for ease of access.

The system is powered by the main 12 volt bus bar via a typical switch mounted on the panel. A fuse of 15 Amps minimum should be used.

On a typical Jabiru there are two separate ignition switches used to earth the “P” leads of the two magneto coils. In this case, the magnetos are live when the contacts are open, and are off when closed when the “P” leads are earthed. You can use one of these switches to serve as the electronic ignition switch. However, the switch must be 12 volts positive when the contacts are closed. So the switch has to be rotated 180 degrees and the wires changed from switching ground to switching 12 volt positive potential.

You may notice that when the hall sensor is mounted, it is 1 to 4 mm from the magnets, where the magneto is approximately 0.3 mm. This is of no concern as the hall sensor is highly sensitive and works within this range.

You will only need one E-ignition kit for your Jabiru 2200 as the general installation philosophy is to retain one original magneto and install one Rotec E-ignition alongside it as both ignitions are designed to run continuously. It is possible to run dual e-ignitions, which we do on our own Rotec R3600, however for Jabiru engines we recommend that you only install one E-ignition alongside the original magneto.